Corona exhaustion (CORONEX): COVID-19-induced exhaustion grinding down humanity

Abstract

The constant presence and reminder of COVID-19, as well as persistent measures to control, test, measure or otherwise monitor this pandemic are taking an eroding psychological toll on the global population, even as select populations begin to receive a vaccine. This daily “presence” is exhausting humanity in ways akin to times of war or extreme financial strife, and its long-term impact on human mental health is referred to in this paper as CORONEX, or exhaustion caused by the coronavirus, in this case COVID-19. This term is based on broad observations, but not on clinical data. Prolonged fear, insecurities, and radical changes to lifestyles can erode psychological defenses while fortifying mental frailties. Particularly vulnerable to both health and mental health impacts of COVID-19 are older individuals, those with pre-existing conditions, minorities, and healthcare workers. Even with vaccines, COVID-19-induced fatigue (CORONEX) will likely continue in the foreseeable future as humanity learns to coexist with this pandemic. Suitable and robust economic, psycho-emotive and healthcare support structures are needed for those that survive, even more so for communities living in under-privileged conditions.